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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  2. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  3. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  16. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  17. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The ________________ market has crashed.
  23. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  24. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. calf — a young animal
  2. stick — a piece of wood
  3. calf — of the leg
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. stick — to attach or keep to
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. wind — moving air
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. fan — a supporter
  14. wind — moving air
  15. fork — in a road
  16. cabinet — ministers
  17. wind — to turn a key
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. stock — goods
  20. cabinet — a cupboard
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. stock — shares
  23. fork — a garden tool
  24. hide — to keep secret

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com